Behind one of Paul Simon’s most celebrated solo hits lies a surprising culinary inspiration.
In 1972, producer Jon Landau interviewed the musician, covering a wide-ranging series of topics. One of these was Simon's solo career, which began with the self-titled album Paul Simon.
The LP would reach number four on Billboard's chart in the United States. It spawned the hits "Mother and Child Reunion," "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard," and "Duncan."
Simon reflected on recording the album, sharing the unexpected culinary inspiration behind one of its most beloved tracks. He revealed that he had composed the music for the top five hit “Mother and Child Reunion” before even writing the lyrics.
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He revealed, "Know where the words came from on that? You never would have guessed. I was eating in a Chinese restaurant downtown. There was a dish called 'Mother and Child Reunion.' It’s chicken and eggs. And I said, 'Oh, I love that title. I gotta use that one.'"
But, while the song's title had a food connection, its lyrics were more personal. Simon said the tune had its origins in a deep family loss.
"We had a dog that was run over and killed, and we loved this dog. It was the first death I had ever experienced personally. Nobody in my family died that I felt that," Simon explained.
"I felt this loss – one minute there, next minute gone, and then my first thought was, “Oh, man, what if that was Peggy [Harper, Simon's first wife]? What if somebody like that died? Death, what is it?"
He concluded, "And there were lyrics straight out forward like that. 'I can’t for the life of me remember a sadder day. I just can’t believe it's so.' Those are the lyrics. Somehow there was a connection between this death and Peggy, and it was like Heaven. I don’t know what the connection was. Some emotional connection. It didn’t matter to me what it was. I just knew it was there."
The song was released on February 5, 1972. "Mother and Child Reunion" marked Paul Simon’s first major solo hit, proving he could succeed outside of Simon & Garfunkel.
The reggae-infused track showcased his willingness to experiment with new sounds, it set the stage for his acclaimed solo albums to come, and helped establish him as a standalone artist with a distinct musical voice.
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